Who needs sleep when you've got video?

A new study says that by 2013, we'll be spending as much time gazing at our various video screens—such as cell phones, laptop displays, and the old-fashioned TV—as we do sleeping. Just wait till we get Web browsers installed behind our eyelids.

The study, undertaken by Solutions Research Group in Toronto, found that we're already spending 6.1 hours per day watching "video-based entertainment"—anything from traditional TVs, DVR'ed shows, video games, Web browsing, and mobile TV.

But in just five years, researchers predict that number will jump to about eight hours a day—the same amount of time the average American spends getting shut-eye.

So, what gives? According to the study, while TV still accounts for nearly 64 percent of our daily video viewing, the amount of time we spend in front of Web browsers and mobile video players—like the iPhone—could triple, from about an hour a day now to three by 2013.

Now, I'm sure I already spend at least eight hours a day in front of some kind of video screen—but remember, these research numbers are averages, which means even the most un-wired among us will be spending more and more time with their eyes glued to a screen.

Here's a link to the summary, plus a PDF that breaks down our viewing habits by device.

What do you think—how much video is too much? (As someone who just bought a 46-inch TV and a second gaming console, I'm in no position to get all that indignant.)

Related:
Report: U.S. Daily Video Viewing Hours to Match Sleep by 2013 [Digital Media Wire]